The MonsterVerse reigns supreme at the domestic box office. “Godzilla vs. Kong” added another $7.7 million to its box office haul over the weekend, raising its total U.S. take to more than $80 million.
The Legendary and Warner Bros. film is playing at some 3,001 theaters, down slightly from it’s peak of 3,084. The overall take per theater is a rather modest figure under normal circumstances, however it represents a promising trend for the exhibition industry in which a meaningful stream of patrons are beginning to return to theaters.
The more notable figure lies in the international box office, where “Godzilla vs. Kong” has taken in a whopping $310 million. The lion’s share of that amount is derived from China, where some $177 million has been banked. The blockbuster film cost north of $165 million to produce, though with a global haul nearing $400 million, the picture is assured to turn a profit.
The feat comes at a pivotal time for the struggling movie theater industry. Many locations remain closed. Most are operating at reduced capacity. Meanwhile, “Godzilla vs. Kong” has been available on HBO Max to subscribers at no extra charge, meaning people who pay for the streaming service can watch it at home for free. In sum, exhibitors are finally beginning to see a glimmer of light the end of the pandemic tunnel.
Universal’s “Nobody” starring Bob Odenkirk ranks second at the box office for the week, raking in $2.5 million from 2,405 theaters. The action thriller has been in theaters for a month now and has earned a total of $34 million worldwide.
While “Godzilla vs. Kong” has shown enough strength to win the box office on its own, it also helps that the release slate for movies is still comparatively slim. No major films hit the market to compete with the latest MonsterVerse installment. Warner Bros.’ video game adaptation “Mortal Kombat” is scheduled for a wide release on April 23. Based on the excitement surrounding the action sequences, fatalities, and soundtrack, “Mortal Kombat” is expected to become 2021’s next–if only temporary–box office champion.
